Second Time's The Charm
by MadCapSciFiWriter
Summary: Answer to a flashfic challenge...JohnTeyla...Teyla loses her memory of an important event.


**Own nothing…because if I did John and Teyla would get together sooner rather than later on Atlantis!**

**Quick Write for a flash fic challenge issued out by doxymom on the GW Forum…Teyla's loses her memory…**

**This was supposed to be humorous…not quite sure if I succeeded…probably not.**

_**Second Time's The Charm**_

Elizabeth Weir sat at her desk in her office staring at the screen of her laptop and feeling a headache sneak its way across her eyes. She groaned at the techno-babble of Dr. McKay's latest lab reports.

"_Unscheduled gate activation…receiving Lt. Col. Sheppard's IDC"_

Dr. Weir looked up and although surprised by the early return of Col. Sheppard could not say the interruption was unwelcome.

She walked out of her office to stand and look down at the Stargate, "Let them through."

A few moments later John Sheppard came rushing through the gate carrying Teyla Emmagan in his arms, "I need a medical team!" Col. Sheppard voice was loud and carried just the edge of panic within it.

Elizabeth heard the panic and quickly tapped her earpiece, "Dr. Beckett we need you in the gateroom now!" She rushed down the stairs to stand beside John, "What happened? Teyla…" The voice stopped in her throat as she caught sight of an unconscious Teyla held in John's arms, blood decorating her forehead.

John wouldn't wait for Dr. Beckett but started to walk quickly down the hallways to the Atlantis infirmary, he met Carson on the way with a stretcher and a medical team.

John reluctantly set Teyla gently down on the stretcher and watched Carson take her away. John started to follow but was stopped by Elizabeth, "John…what happened? Teyla…John stop.'

Weir grabbed lightly on to John's arm and pulled him to a stop, "Carson will take care of Teyla…tell me what happened. This was just supposed to be a vacation for you two…sometime off from Atlantis…and I thought you were going to ask Teyla to…"

Seeing the pain and worry creasing John's brow, Elizabeth led him to Carson's small office just off of the infirmary.

He sat down with a tired sigh and rubbed his hands over his face, "It was a beautiful planet…I tried to make everything perfect…it's not everyday your life is going to change… everything was green, there were beautiful flowers everywhere…it was why I chose the planet to take Teyla to in the first place…she liked it there…everything was going great…"

A ghostly smile flickered across John's lips, "Unless you count the moment when I got down on one knee to propose to her and ended up slipping in some mud and taking a nosedive down a hill. I thought 'there went the romantic moment I was aiming for' but she just laughed and smiled that smile of hers as she looked down at me sitting in a puddle of water. It was wonderful, seeing her carefree smile, not what I had planned but it was a moment I would remember for as long as I live…"

A dark look washed through John's eyes, "As well as the moment when she was attacked by some sort of native animal. She wasn't paying attention still too amused at watching me trudge out of the mud…it came out of the bushes and rammed into her, knocking her off her feet. She fell hard to the ground…I raced up the hill and took out my gun and killed the animal but when I reached Teyla she wasn't moving…there was blood in her hair…"

John stared at his hands and Elizabeth could see a red tint on his fingers…Teyla's blood, "John…"

"She didn't move…I picked her up…I didn't know if I should move her but I wouldn't leave her so I just made it to the gate as quickly as I could."

Just then Carson came into the office. John stood up and made to go into the infirmary but Carson stopped him, "Easy lad…she's all right…a nasty bump she'll have and no doubt an aching head to match it when she wakes…but I saw no permanent damage. It's best to just let her rest."

John shook his head and then left to go sit by Teyla's bedside so he could be with her when she woke.

Weir watched John leave and just shook her head, "He was planning this day for weeks…he had it all planned…he wanted it to be perfect and this is how it ends…will those two never be given that…they deserve to have something go right…" She gave a slight sigh before turning back to Carson, "Make sure he at least eats something since I highly doubt he will be leaving her side tonight."

Beckett gave a nod of his head and Elizabeth left John and Teyla in his care as she returned to her duties and Rodney's lab reports.

John stayed with Teyla all night, not once leaving her side. He fell asleep with his head by her hers, her hand held tight in his.

He awoke to a hand gently brushing his hair back from his forehead. He raised his head and looked into Teyla's warm brown ones, "Teyla!"

"Hello Col," Teyla started to sit up but fell back as pain danced a beat in her head. At her wince of pain John gave a yell for Carson.

The doctor came running and when he saw Teyla making another attempt to sit up gave her a stern lecture, "Now lass, you should be staying still you've had a nasty fall and have quite a bump on your head."

Teyla frowned and looked back between Carson and John, 'I do not know why I am here other then my head is pounding…what has happened?"

John stood closer to Teyla and grasped her hand, "You fell…you were attacked by an animal…"

"I fell? Where? How? An animal…," Teyla sat up in bed, ignoring the pain in her head and the pleas of John and Dr. Beckett, "My people on the mainland…are they safe…we have never seen any animal that has attacked before…I must…"

"Teyla…?" John looked at Carson before turning his gaze back to the woman who was trying to sit up. John didn't let her but gently pushed her back so she was resting against her pillow, "It's alright…your people are fine.'

Confusion replaced the worry on Teyla's face, "Then the animal was caught…the children like to wander…they could be attacked…"

"Teyla…don't you remember we went off word yesterday…you were attacked there…the mainland is safe…"

It was Teyla's turn to frown…"Off world…I do not remember being off world…I was suppose to go to the mainland to check on my people…was there a mission?"

"No Teyla…we went to…" John paused as Carson caught his eye over Teyla's head.

"Teyla lass, you did take a good knock on the head…perhaps you should rest a while longer." Carson gave a pat to Teyla's hand before pushing John out of the infirmary leaving a befuddled Teyla to close her eyes and fall back asleep.

Once out of earshot John turned to face Carson, "Okay, doc…what's going on? You said she would be fine…no serious damage," Beckett nodded his head in affirmation "Then why doesn't she remember that I proposed to her yesterday!"

"You proposed lad…well…that's fine…it was about time…really Col. Sheppard…and did she say she would have ya…you know after all of…your…ummm…well of course she said glowered down at Atlantis' head medical officer, 'Yes…she said yes…but the problem is…she doesn't remember saying 'Yes!'

"Oh well…the mind is a tender thing…and the knock may have had unforeseen consequences…but she still remembers you…it seems as if only the past hours before she hit her head are the ones she can't recall…they may return in time but be glad lad…it wasn't more serious…Now go…leave…tell Dr. Weir Teyla woke up and she will be fine…no don't…Teyla will be fine…you however have been here all night and could use a shower!"

And with that Dr. Beckett turned on his heel and walked back into the infirmary leaving a disgruntled John Sheppard in his wake…

Since he wasn't allowed back into the infirmary John went to his quarters and took a shower and ridding himself of his clothes that had dried uncomfortably with caked on mud…he had other things on his mind then cleaning up and now guessed why Carson had shooed him off from the infirmary.

Not a half hour later he was walking back to the infirmary. He ran into Elizabeth on the way who had been filled in on Teyla's condition from Carson.

"That's good news John, Teyla will be fine…" Weir caught on to John's sideways looks, "except for her short term memory loss…but Carson assured me nothing was permanently damaged and that Teyla should be released soon…'

John walked quietly beside Elizabeth as she continued to speak, "But none of that is very comforting when Teyla doesn't remember your proposal, is it?"

"Well just try to think on the bright side John…you have been given a second chance…and this time perhaps you can ask her again and it can go as you had originally planned...you know the old saying "Second time's the charm, right?"

Finally John absently spoke up, "I thought the saying went 'Third time's the charm…"

"Yes well…I myself always preferred second…" Weir's voice traveled off and she stopped. Sensing Elizabeth had stopped, John turned to look at her…his attention focused on her fully, "I'm sorry John…I know you this isn't how you thought your proposal to Teyla would go…but…" Elizabeth's voice trailed off and she moved her hands restlessly by her side, trying to find the words to comfort John but finding herself at a loss…

After a moment of silence John spoke up, "Thanks Elizabeth" And with that turned on his heel and continued of to the infirmary.

Two days later…Teyla had been released from Dr. Beckett's care and John had taken her to the gym they always use to spar in. It was here that John, with no fear of mud or dangerous animals interfering, got down on one knee and proposed to Teyla.

"Yes…second time's the charm"

THE END


End file.
